Wishes Come True
by Artsome
Summary: One small thought, an action, and suddenly history has been changed. Kagome realizes the jewel is too precious to be lying outside without protection, so she picks it up before the Crow even had a chance to. Consequence: The jewel was never destroyed and Kagome has to get used to her new position. Why do they keep calling her -sama and Okashira anyway? AU. Blending manga and anime.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** One small thought, an action, and suddenly history has been changed. Kagome realizes the jewel is too precious to be lying outside without protection, so she picks it up before the Crow even had a chance to. Consequence: The jewel was never destroyed and Kagome has to get used to her new position. Why do they keep calling her -sama and Okashira anyway? AU. Blend of both manga and anime.

**Authors note:** I'm excited for this one. I have BIG plans for it! I will add OC's as I see fit, since this will be an epic journey exploring the concepts of youkai, ghosts and holy energy. It will be fun, I promise! Or, at least, if you like that sort of thing.

Hope you enjoy this chapter!

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><p>o0o0o0o0o0o<p>

Chapter 1

Kagome slammed into the ground, grunting from the force. She rolled with it and was barely able to avoid the sword that whizzed through the air shortly after. She clambered up, sparing a second to look back at the large, looming and dangerous man. "Come on!" Kagome called frantically, tugging the one she recognized as one of her kidnappers to follow her. He halted besides her, grimacing in pain, and she lent her shoulder for him to lean on. She spared a worried look for him. "This isn't the moment for spacing out!"

Those that had been in a state of shock at their leader's sudden change, and the death of two of their fellow comrades, finally regained some sense after her shout. They began to move. Kagome was a bit surprised that they elected to follow her, the one he was actually trying to kill, but since there was power in number, she thought that maybe she should just run and _not think about it_.

So she ran as fast as she could with her kidnapper heavily leaning on her.

Unfortunately, there wasn't anywhere to escape his swings. The entrance had been blocked and the deranged leader was in the middle, leaving them no choice but to try and duck from the long range of his sword. It was hard, especially when a man weighing twice as much as her was relying on her support. There wasn't much else they could do though. Even Kagome could see that the men couldn't overpower him in this state, shocked as they were, and it wasn't like she could pick up a weapon and start swinging. It would be a bad idea all-around considering Kagome's clumsiness, but she couldn't help but think that the situation might be desperate enough for her to try.

She glanced back and paled at how quickly the large monstrosity of man lumbered behind them despite his sheer size.

"Give me... The _jewel_," he wheezed, his eyes an unhealthy yellow and unfocused as he said it.

"Never!" She shouted back fiercely.

He lurched forward, and Kagome yelped as she had to scramble back with the rest of the thugs. "Give... me..." He repeated in a wheeze, sounding like the mere effort of talking and swinging the sword was too much for him. His body swayed where he stood, but his arm had a mind of its own as it drew back to slash at them again.

She darted to the side, realizing that they were walking in a tight circle inside the old building. Who would tire first? She wondered.

… Probably her, Kagome realized since she was already winded.

"Why is it always me?" She cried, clutching the jewel at her neck and lamenting the fact she was wearing it. Everyone seemed to want it, and not even youkai. Even humans seeking the power would want it, as Kaede had said.

"Okashira! Help us!" A thug said as he looked pleadingly into her eyes. She vaguely remembered he had been smoking with a leering grin when she had been kicked in. Her temper flared.

"What?! _You_...!" She growled, partly from disbelief and partly from anger. Weren't they the grown men with experience from this sort of thing? She was just from the modern times, not a savior or anything! "And I'm not your Okashira!" She bit out when she remembered what they had called her. The nerve of this people!

"Watch out!" The smoker pushed her to a run again, and she noticed the sword that was stuck halfway through the wall where she had been standing a second ago. She gulped at the narrow miss.

"Thanks," she said weakly.

Doing a sort of weird twist that entailed more of throwing himself at the sides and still somehow managing to stand on his two feet, the leader got out his sword in the process. Kagome slowly backed away. "_Give me_... The Shikon no Tama!" He rasped out again.

Clutching the pink jewel, wondering absently why something holy seemed to be cursing her, she was about to shout out another denial when she noticed the crack he had made in the wall. A rather large crack, in fact...

A proverbial light bulb lit up over her head.

Coercing another thug to take over and help her halting kidnapper, she turned to the towering form with the little bravado she had managed to scrounge up. The sight of him made her skin crawl, and she couldn't help but think there was something inherently _wrong_ with him. Like a whisper at the edge of her senses, it whispered messages of _taint_, _death_ and _parasite_.

Steeling herself, she took a few quick steps to the left, waving her arms to catch his undivided attention. "Fine!" She shouted. "You want it? Then go and get it!" Kagome threw the necklace away and out of the smallest window she had ever had the misfortune to see. Luckily enough, the jewel sailed freely out of the building, but she couldn't help but lament the window anyway. Bigger and they might have escaped that way, but as it were he was staring in the direction it went, swaying slightly and looking quite confused.

The thugs, however, were staring at her like she had gone nuts. Maybe she had. But a psychiatrist would just have to wait. She wants to be freed first!

"Now!" Kagome yelled, pointing at the wall. "Let's all push against the wall!"

They threw themselves at the wall as one body, an ominous creak grumbling from the ceiling, and she startled. It didn't budge, but what surprised her most was that they obeyed her without thought. Too bad it wasn't enough.

"Okashira! It's no good!" One cried out while the others were looking at her for more orders.

Kagome only stared at them in incredulity for a heartbeat longer. Feeling rather than hearing a heavy thud behind her, she prayed that the unstable roof hadn't decided to pick now of all times to crumble. Turning around, she saw it was only a large sword being swung at her, and her relief was short lived. Kagome closed her eyes tightly and shied away.

She heard a crash, and the pain that she had been expecting never came. Opening her eyes, she saw red and silver dart across her vision. _Inuyasha_? She gasped. He jumped in front of her, the sword shattering at the contact of his red robe.

Her eyes lit up at the sight of him. "You came here to –" she began with a smile, but the hanyou whipped around, glaring at her.

"Where is the Shikon no Tama?!"

"– _not_ save _me_," she continued in deadpan, narrowing her eyes at him. He looked like he was about to repeat himself, but the leader stirred from where he had fallen and he clicked his tongue instead, annoyed. Turning around, he spread his hands and showed his sharp claws, a silent warning.

"You reek, you disgusting crow!" Inuyasha bared his teeth, and she amended her statement to a maybe not so silent warning.

"Okashira!" Kagome turned to see several of the men waving at her urgently, casting distressed looks at Inuyasha. "Please escape while you have the chance!" She thought about correcting their misconception that he was evil, but it probably wasn't worth her breath at the moment.

Glancing back at the silver mane, Kagome decided that he might as well take care of it when he had been so rude. So she nodded and made her way towards them. The hole Inuyasha had made when crashing inside was perfect for escaping, though all the debris was a bit difficult to climb over. When she was near enough, they quickly grabbed her arms and hauled her over a particularly sharp and high rock. Smiling in thanks, she turned and did the same to two others that had let her go first.

"Where are we going?" She asked, glancing over her shoulder for any sound of fighting.

Turning to the men, she noticed how they traded uncomfortable looks, but it was quickly hidden when a thug she didn't recognize nodded to the other side of the house. "We have horses," he said in explanation.

Kagome probably thought it would be rude to point out that they didn't answer, so she only made a vague noncommittal sound.

They quickly walked around the house, and she winced when a particularly hard crash came from within. Inuyasha did seem to be a noisy fighter.

Four or so of the men noticed the direction of her eyes, and they flinched instead, taking almost an involuntary step the other way from the sounds.

Kagome kept quiet about that reaction too, not wanting to bring something to light they clearly didn't want to talk about. But she couldn't really repress the gut feeling she had that they didn't have anywhere to go, now that their leader had literally gone rogue.

"If you want, you guys can always come with me back to the village. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you slept there for awhile."

The words were out before she even knew it, and she stopped to look at the men who had gone utterly silent. The looks in their eyes which she managed to seize unsettled her, so she turned around and began walking again. She didn't regret asking, though.

Kagome only took a few steps before she saw something glint in her peripheral. She came to a sudden stop from her brisk walk, squinting her eyes.

"Okashira?" A surprised voice called.

She waved over her shoulder absently and told them that they could go ahead, taking a step closer to the spot that had glinted. There, lying innocently among high grass, the Shikon no Tama rested peacefully. Kagome sighed in both relief and despair.

She had it again in her possession.

Picking it up reluctantly and setting it around her neck again, she walked to stand with the group that had stopped around their horses. She noted with confusion that they weren't tending to the animals like she had thought, but they were instead staring. Then she noticed that they were staring at her _chest_, and she blushed furiously. Kagome wanted to shout hentai at them, and then storm away. What had she been thinking, anyway? These thugs were the ones that had kidnapped her to that insane leader, and she sure noticed those leering grins when she had been lying on the ground! Their intentions had been _a little_ too clear.

A sensible part of her pointed out that their eyes weren't lecherous, so she stopped herself with a frown.

Then what..? _Oh_! They were staring at the Shikon no Tama.

No sooner than Kagome had realized that did the one closest ask her slowly and almost reverently, "Is that... _the_ Holy Jewel?"

If she had been stared at before, she was now enduring positively drilling stares.

She dragged her nod out, her eyes darting between them suspiciously. How hadn't they noticed? What did they think that madman had been demanding back in the rundown house? _Another_ jewel with the same name? Something was up, she could feel it. "Yes?" Her answer came out as a question, accusing in its forwardness. "Wasn't that why you kidnapped me in the first place?"

They at least had the grace to avert their eyes, ashamed, but the smoker shook his head vehemently in denial in the same motion. "No. He only said we were to take the woman that dressed with a short kimono." He shot a meaningful look to her school clothes, eyes lingering suspiciously long at her legs.

Kagome squeaked a little bit at that, tugging down her skirt. This was a perfectly normal outfit, _thank __you __very much_, but suddenly she felt it didn't cover nearly enough. He gave her an apologetic glance. "I deeply and humbly ask for your forgiveness, Okashira. We were only following orders." They bowed as one, deeply and respectfully; even the kidnapper that had probably sprained his ankle, and she felt the urge to slam her palm to her face. First the villagers bowing, now the kidnappers?

It creeps her out that she might actually become used to this.

"It's okay, apology accepted," she assured them hurriedly, hoping they would stop with the too deep bow. "But how many times must I tell you that I'm NOT your Okashira! My name is –"

"_Wench_!" A voice roared, and her smile twitched.

"Inuyasha?"

She turned just in time to catch the sight of a crow with three eyes taking flight, and she wondered where that had come from. Then Inuyasha hopped out in all his enraged glory, coming for her. The thugs shifted uneasily in her peripheral, and the horses whined softly in distress. "Wench!" He growled, further proving what animal characteristics he had inherited as he prowled forward. "How dare you leave me there to fight and instead go with _them_, you filthy –"

Her eyes narrowed in a split second, and she stood her ground firmly. "Osuwari," she snapped, glaring at him. He slammed into the ground several feet away with enough force to rattle it. She stomped forward. "Listen here, and listen well; my name is Ka-go-me! You hear me? Kagome!"

Unknown to Kagome, the group of thieves was staring at her wide eyed, their view of her continuing to shift as every second passed. They shared a glance among themselves.

Not that one couldn't tell from just looking at them, but they had been thugs and thieves for quite some time now. Being immediately marked as something bad could sometimes have advantages, and one of those were the things they learned. People tended to have loose tongues in their company, so knowledge of money was first and foremost for them. How else would they know who the most profitable person to rob would be?

Looking at the young woman – Kagome was it? – they could easily detect signs of rich heritage from experience alone. It probably helped they had a keen eye for travelers with wealthy pockets, and this time it was used rigorously.

The kimono was made of fine cloth, the seams flawless and the colors vibrant, though it was a bit too short and left almost nothing to the imagination. Maybe it was some sort of odd sleeping wear? She had been grabbed in the early morning, after all. Add that with her long and thick hair, the Shikon no Tama, her unblemished skin and soft hands, those vibrant blue eyes, her control of the youkai... It all painted a picture they couldn't deny.

Two of the more religious ones began to shift on the spot, casting nervous glances over their shoulder as if expecting something to swoop in and devour them. Another bravely stepped forward, but stopped after only one step. "O-Okashira?" His voice faltered.

She paused in her verbal berating of the youkai and straightened, looking over at them inquiringly. "Hm?"

Her back was naturally straight, and her posture looked immaculate from their point of views. It only furthered their belief.

The smoker that had called her Okashira the first time hadn't really thought of her like that, but had hoped that the name would appease her and maybe get her to help them. At that moment, she had seemed to be the one most in control while they had been frozen. The others in the group had heard and understood on some level, following his lead regardless. Besides, if push came to shove, she was the slowest of them and could serve as an excellent distraction for their former leader. The sick and the women was always the first to go, so it had only felt natural.

But there was just something about her... There wasn't really a word for it, though the feeling was what drove them to at least follow her. In hindsight, that trust had been well placed.

They started to cold sweat when the pieces all fell neatly. They had kidnapped a high _noble_! They're going to be executed any moment now!

Again, they bowed deeply. "We are profoundly sorry, Kagome-sama!"

_Wait, what?_

She quickly backtracked, almost stumbling over a stone in her haste. _Sama_, she wailed internally, where had _that_ come from? She flailed her hands, almost as if she had been attacked by flies. "No, there is nothing to be sorry about! You've already apologized! Please stop bowing!" She was obviously flustered, looking around in reflex to see if anyone else could see her embarrassment.

Their heads stubbornly pointed to the ground. "We did not know you were a noble!" Another voice she couldn't quite remember continued undeterred. "Please see it in your vast and deep heart to forgive us!"

Kagome blinked in shock at the old and very formal speech they were using, but she quickly shook it off for the new realization. _Her_, a _noble?_ She was in disbelief and Inuyasha seemed to agree from where he had crawled up from his hole. "Bah! Like this wench could be a noble. Of all humans, she must be the most _unworthy one_ I have _ever _met!"

There was a deafening pause for everybody except the hanyou that had caused it.

She blinked.

She digested the words.

After a moment, she finally decided that she took offense at that.

Kagome rose to her full height, and the gang of thieves watched on with wide eyes as they vacated from their bow. "And why can't I be a noble?" She inquired sweetly, a smile fixed firmly on her face.

His ears swiveled, perhaps sensing danger, and he frowned. "You're not womanly enough," he bluntly said.

Her smile disappeared and she bristled. Like that was a good enough reason!

"Inuyasha? _Osuwari_." He slammed into the ground again, and Kagome tilted her head up, looking down her nose at him with icy blue eyes. She felt childish for thinking it, let alone saying it out loud, but it was a rightful indignation that she felt should be shown in the same manner he had done. With a drawl, she said, "And you're not worthy enough to _ever_ be inside a court of mine."

While she internally fretted at her childish remark, the bandits were speechless. That tone of voice was well remembered by their countless encounters from before of arrogant ladies and lords, and it only furthered their belief that she was of noble birth. Maybe even higher.

Kami, what had they done?

"Besides," she added, tilting her head and speaking more to herself when she had calmed down, "if anything, I'm more of a Miko." She lived in a shrine, after all.

Kagome continued to pour salt into wounds she couldn't see. The men paled beside her and gulped. Either they had the blessing of the gods, or they had inquired the wrath of one. A _Miko_? The thugs wailed internally. They kidnapped a _Miko_?! Seeing the glint of pink, they paled even more as they remembered the jewel and connected the dots belatedly. She was the new _Shikon no Miko._

Kami, forgive them.

At least the priestesses were usually more forgiving than the nobles. Maybe they could keep their heads?

The group almost slammed into the ground at the same speed it had taken for Inuyasha to get down, bowing low in a dogeza. "_Okashira_!"

She sighed in frustration, turning to them. "What is it?" Before they could say anything, she crossed her arms with a glower, her temper flared by the hanyou's display. She really wasn't in the mood for this, so she barely noticed their bowing forms that would have made her flustered in any other moment. "And don't call me Okashira! My name is Kagome. Ka-go-me!" What was it with everyone and calling her everything else but her name? Was it that hard to remember? She didn't even ask for them to call her by her family name!

They visibly struggled with themselves before they came to a compromise. "Kagome-sama!"

She sighed quietly, fingers twitching. She supposed it would have to do.

"Forgive our lowly deeds and persons, for we are not worth the air we breathe!" The smoker almost shouted out his apology, and Kagome was again boggled with the formal speech.

"We deeply and humbly ask for your apology," another picked up where the other left off, "and we can only hope you deem us deserving enough to grant us this selfish wish:"

"_Please forgive us_!"

She didn't quite know what to do, so she only stared. Inuyasha had picked himself up sometime during their bowing, and was now standing beside her in silence. She looked at him in surprise. He glared right back, but it felt muted from his usual vehemence.

"Well? What are you waiting for?"

"W-what?"

Inuyasha jerked his head in their direction. "You're a Miko, right?" He stated in a gruff voice. "What you gonna do?"

"But I'm not really..." She trailed off, furrowing her brows.

The bowing men, nervous from the lengthy silence, once again spoke up through a single spokesperson. "What can we do to earn your forgiveness, Miko-sama?"

That snapped her right out of it. "No no no, you're misunderstanding!" Her usual bravery was blown to the wind with the sight of them in the dogeza. She was a modern girl first and foremost, and what might seem normal for them was certainly _not_ for her. She felt slightly embarrassed for their sake. "There is nothing to forgive, and you already have it if you insist so much! Please, stop bowing!"

"We... we already have your forgiveness?" His voice was hesitant, and she hastened to reassure him.

"Yes, yes, of course!" She crouched, careful that her skirt wouldn't open, and sat in front of them, pleading with her eyes. "So please sit up."

She was puzzling to them, and they couldn't quite figure her out.

Kagome was acting like a noble, was a Miko, and despite all this still insists on bringing herself to their level, quite literally too. It was unheard of, and they stared at her even though it was rude and most probably forbidden. She was a _noble woman_, after all. Didn't she say so to the insulting youkai?

So yes, she was puzzling to them... but also oddly refreshing.

"Please allow me to follow you wherever you go, Okashira."

Her head snapped to the determined man with a resounding crack. Say _what_?!

Her emotions clearly showed on her face, for he cleared his throat and reverted his eyes uncomfortably. "Please," he repeated, almost softly if it hadn't been for the slight wheeze in his voice. "I would be honored."

"Why?"

It was the only question that stood out in her chaotic mind. Why do they continue to bow? Why do they call her Okashira? Why do they think she deserves the -sama suffix? Why was she sent to this time period? And _why_ did this happen to _her_?!

He only understood one question.

"Because I would be _honored_," he repeated with a firm tone, turning to meet her eyes. A slight awe invaded his features as he continued, "Kagome-sama, forgive me, but I don't think you understand. The fact that you're asking me that is enough. Others would not."

Murmurs and shared glances rose from the group in front of her, and suddenly they all repeated what the first man had said.

"Please allow me to follow you, Okashira!"

She was staring again, lost at what to do.

Kagome didn't really know how long she stood there gaping, but Inuyasha was the one that broke it at last. "Keh, you foolish humans, needing someone else to follow... And you choose this wench?" He laughed, quick and short, but narrowed his eyes when he saw those that could draw their swords had pointed them at him.

"Don't you dare talk about Okashira like that, youkai!"

He bared his teeth, growling. It did the trick for her tired mind to reboot itself.

"Don't." Kagome said, sighing. "He's not hurting anybody, only acting a bit immature. You all are," she added when they only tensed.

His ears swiveled and he shot a venomous glare towards her, but he didn't say anything back as they hesitantly sheathed their weapons at her admonishment.

"Keh," he spat out and jumped away. The thugs were immediately on alert again with several shouts, their swords pointed in the direction he had jumped from.

Her palm met her face in a subdued smack. "This won't be easy," she mumbled.

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><p><strong>AN** Prologue over! Please tell me your thoughts so that I know exactly how I should destroy your hopes, alright?

Thanks for reading, see you at the next update! (And you're lucky. I have several chapters stored on this story, so it won't be too long.)


	2. Chapter 2

****Summary:****One small thought, an action, and suddenly history has been changed. Consequence: The jewel was never destroyed and Kagome has to get used to her new position. AU. Blend of both manga and anime.

****Authors note:**** I never imagined that I would get so much response for just one chapter. Thank you, everyone! Don't be afraid of telling me your thoughts on this fanfiction, it motivates me to write more. Hope you like the changes one small jewel can make for our dear Kagome. I kind of pity her actually (or laugh, I do that too).

Please enjoy the chapter!

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Chapter 2

Marching back to the village was no casual feat by any means. The former thugs and now self-proclaimed guards to the Miko was either glaring at everything that moved or staring with open-mouthed reverence to the village she currently resided in. The villagers was doing the same, but they were whispering or pointing at them with a suspicious look that only cleared after they saw the reincarnated Miko in the middle. Still wary, but they calmed down enough to not outright glare. The children escaped from their mothers and had fun as they ran across the road, giggling and spreading the rumor quicker than their little group could walk.

That's why, when they had arrived to the village center, Kaede was already standing there, waiting for them. She raised one gnarly hand and beckoned Kagome inside her hut, only raising an eyebrow in surprise when those behind her insisted on doing the same after they had tied their horses securely.

In the end, Kaede was sitting on one side of the fire pit while Kagome sat on the other, the former thugs crowding behind her.

"I figure ye have a story to tell."

Kagome clearly did, and so she retold the events of the day, of how she sneaked off to jump inside the well again, though she didn't say those exact words partly because of those sitting behind her, and partly because of her embarrassment, but the old lady understood. Kagome also told her about how she was kidnapped, and several men suddenly had their eyes directed to the floor so that Kaede wouldn't see their shame, though of course she didn't miss that.

Kagome then calmly spoke about the crazed leader that had seemed obsessed, and had chased them around and how close to death she had been, and regrets about those that had died in the one-sided fight. Inuyasha ultimately came barging in and saved them, and the jewel was once again in her possession.

Kaede hummed when she was done. "Sounds to me like ye encountered the death crow."

"Death crow?" She echoed blankly.

She nodded with a grimace. "Aye. They are foul youkai who prey on the flesh of the newly deceased and controls them from the inside. I reckon that man had been dead for some time, maybe even a whole day."

Kagome heard a sharp intake of breath behind her, and figured this revelation must come to a shock for them. She looked sympathetically at the men behind her and murmured a condolence, but it only made them startle and stare at her again.

Kaede grabbed her attention with a cough, and Kagome turned around to see her sit there with a worried frown. "Are ye alright, Kagome-sama?"

She almost broke down then and there with the honest sincerity the question held.

_Of course_ she wasn't alright. She had almost lost her life again thanks to a youkai, something that doesn't even exist except from myths where she came from. The thought of dying caused a chill to crawl across her body, and she resisted the urge to curl in on herself and rub her arms frantically. This was all becoming too much for her, really.

"No," she whispered, swallowing tightly but offering a small smile to the worried woman, "but I'll be alright. Just wish I could..." She trailed off and looked at her skirt, absentmindedly straightening the folds. Kagome didn't really _wish_ for anything, but she _wanted_ to go home. The small pink jewel around her throat seemed to weigh more than the earth itself at the moment. She wanted to be able to decide for herself what she could and couldn't do.

She wanted to be herself again. To be home and worry about school. To be with her friends.

She wished she could decide her own life.

Kaede nodded in understanding, and almost as if she could read her mind, she said; "Aye, the Shikon no Tama is a heavy burden to bear."

Her smile wavered a little as she looked up again. "That's right, and it's my burden to bear, I guess?"

"No one but Kikyo-oneesama had the abilities to both purify it and protect it against those that wished to use it in evil."

"And since I'm her reincarnation..."

"That duty is now yer," Kaede finished. Her sorrowful smile morphed into a cheeky one as she continued, "But at least ye have a following."

A pointed look behind her, and she turned again to look over her shoulder.

Right. They had followed her.

"Can I ask for your names?" She asked sheepishly, rubbing her arm in embarrassment. "Can't keep on calling you my kidnappers, now can I?" Kagome joked weakly.

They either grinned back, looked down in shame or stared at her in awe. It was only after Kaede cleared her throat in impatience that they began to introduce themselves.

"Fugaku." The one that she called 'the smoker' introduced himself first.

"Daiki," the thug sitting next to him said energetically. He seemed to be the youngest, thinnest, and perhaps a smudge eager as he couldn't seem to sit still. The others were more patient as they only nodded in a greeting and said their names.

"Eita."

"Aoto."

"Chikao."

"Batsuni."

She recognized the last one to be the man that she had to help walk. He was the largest of the gathered, muscles rippling like a smaller version of a sumo boxer, and he had his hair shaved, or bald, Kagome couldn't really say. What she did know, though, was that he was the one that had probably sprained his ankle. She frowned at him, and suddenly he looked nervous, eyes flickering left and right.

"Okashira?" He asked.

Ignoring the name for now, although Kaede raised one eyebrow, she beckoned him forward. Batsuni hesitated, but he did as asked with a slight wince when he put his weight on the wrong leg.

She nodded, stopping him with a small hand motion. "I thought so." She sighed. "Do you have any bandages I could have? Or a soothing salve or something?" Kagome directed her questions to Kaede.

"Aye, and I would not mind giving it to ye." She nodded, sat up and walked over to an adjourning room to fetch the equipment. "It doesn't look to be too badly hurt, though, but ye can never be sure. Can ye handle it?"

Kagome smiled reassuringly and thanked her when Kaede handed them to her. "It looks like a harmless sprain; painful but easily healed. Souta got it all the time when playing football carelessly." Her smile dimmed a little at the thought of her little brother, but she quickly shook it off and shuffled nearer the man that looked uncomfortable with the attention on him.

"Would you mind if I helped, Batsuni-san?" She asked, just to be sure she didn't offend.

His eyes widened, and he shook his head fervently. "No, not at all. I would be honore–"

Kagome stopped him right there with a huff. "Please cease with the '_I would be honored_' speech you guys have got going. I'm just Kagome, and it's not like I'm anything special."

"But you're the Shikon no Miko!" Another clamored in, disbelief written on his face. She recognized him as the younger one. Daiki, perhaps?

"And a normal girl with the name of _Kagome_," she injected.

The men in the room shared a glance of incredulity. If anything was to be said about her, normal wasn't one of them.

Completely missing the look they had, Kagome once again bent forward to take hold of his ankle.

There was a sudden startled gasp, and at once they all jumped in front of her with waving hands, forcing her to lean back so not to be hit. "No, no! Don't!"

She stared at them, confused. "I'm just tending your injuries?" Her hesitance made it a question.

"I didn't think you meant that _you_ would–" Batsuni started, horrified.

"You can't!" Another cried out.

"– not proper –!"

"– _noble _should never –!"

"A woman –!"

"– our Okashira!"

She only heard fragments of their words as they all started yelling their reasons at the same time, but what she could make out was ridiculous to her. "I can't?" She repeated, unimpressed.

Fugaku was the first one who shook his head in panic. "No! It's not..." He visibly struggled with his words. "_Becoming_," he settled with, "of a person with your rank to do this lowly deeds. Here, let me," he reached his hands out for the bandages, but she pointedly ignored them.

"It's not?" She felt like a parrot, repeating their words like that, but she was honestly having trouble seeing it their way. Kagome turned to look pleadingly at Kaede, but she only chuckled quietly, amused.

"We can't let you lower yourself." Aoto said firmly, a hard glint in his eyes. He was the one that had first asked to become her follower. Already she could recognize devotion written plainly on his face, though it was rather different from Daiki who was several years younger and almost looked at her with stars in his eyes. Aoto's devotion was more professional, in a way.

That actually gave her an idea.

"Don't argue with me about little things like this," she reprimanded gently, but exasperation shone through. "And if you don't remember, since you're my '_samurai_' guards, shouldn't you accept my '_expertize_'?" Kagome made sarcastic quotation marks with her fingers, a habit she had picked up from her three best friends. It was quite obvious how she thought about the word samurai, but the men in the hut didn't pick up on her meaning considering they were a couple of hundred years before that particular habit started.

They were rather startled, again, with her. To them, she had just officially accepted them as her personal guards, and in the same breath revealed her high noble heritage since it was only the highly ranked that could have permanent samurai. Money issues, mostly, but also tradition.

Kagome was oblivious to this, and instead used their frozen forms as an opportunity to examine the ankle. Batsuni hissed in sudden pain at the cool fingers that pressed on the swelling, trying to see if it was broken. "Sorry," she murmured, grimacing in sympathy. She let her fingers travel around his joint, and nodded, satisfied when it didn't seem too bad.

She leaned back again, smiling at him. "Nothing to worry about. You will be using it again in no time."

He breathed out a sigh of relief.

"But..." She edged, and he was holding his breath now as he stared at her. She wrinkled her nose. "You should probably bathe before I bandage this. It would minimize the risk of infection in the cut you got."

He nodded, shoulders relaxing again. "I can do that."

"Great. Kaede-obaachan, is there a hot spring nearby?"

"Aye, just around the corner. Ask a lad on ye way." She smiled grandmotherly, her eyes crinkling. "And Batsuni-san? Take the other men with ye, they would benefit from a proper cleansing too."

They hesitated and looked to Kagome. She only nodded in agreement, not realizing the significance of the pause. Kaede did however, and her eyes were calculating as they left her hut.

There was a long silence when the two women were left behind.

"Kagome-sama," she spoke up finally, trapping her blue eyes with her own brown ones. "Do ye even understand what happened this eve?"

She opened her mouth to reply in the affirmative, but it was something about those steely eyes that made her ultimately shake her head.

She nodded, slowly. "Aye. I thought so."

"What do y–"

"GAAAAAAH!"

Her head snapped to the door, and without thinking, her hand shot down to the floor and she pushed herself from it in a sprint, running towards the sound. Kagome barely turned the corner outside the village before she stopped in her tracks, stumbling a little from the abrupt halt. Kaede came huffing behind from a distance, but she barely glanced at her as she looked at the sight in front of her.

There, Inuyasha stood with his teeth bared again, eyes narrowed in anger. The men had spread out in a triangle directly across him, swords raised.

From what she could hear, hostile insults flew like rapid gunfire between them.

Honestly, and here she thought it had been something serious, like another youkai attack. But instead it was only stubborn men. She clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes heavenward. "Why. Me." She groused.

Somehow, Kagome suspects it was those fluffy ears that twitched, Inuyasha noticed her presence. He didn't look happy. The human men followed the direction he was looking and brightened up. At least _they_ looked happy to see her.

Just then, before they could say anything, the elder Miko reached them. "What is it?" Kaede's sharp voice asked in a tone that brook no argument, eyes searching for danger. "What happened?"

Immediately, Aoto pointed to Inuyasha and explained, though his eyes never left Kagome's. "The youkai got too close to the village with dangerous intent. Kagome-sama, I suspect he plans to steal the Shikon no Tama."

She blinked.

"Osuwari," she said, almost as if she had developed a reflex to do so when he acted badly. He slammed into the ground with a barely heard '_Wench_!' Aoto seemed satisfied with this, but he clearly didn't appreciate the passing comment he gave.

Aoto glared at the fallen form.

"Ye have it wrong," Kaede cut in, shaking her head. "He is no youkai."

Batsuni raised one eyebrow, surprise coloring his already flushed features. "A hanyou?" He asked. She nodded in confirmation. "What is he doing here?"

Kagome frowned, puzzled. The way he had said it was almost like it had been strange for a hanyou to be even seen. She had been under the impression that hanyou was as common as youkai. Kagome had definitely not imagined the recognition from the villagers or the murmurs, so she couldn't imagine why it was being proven wrong directly in front of her. She also shifted uncomfortably from the prejudice she could almost taste in the air. Was the gap between races really that large? He seemed like a nice guy, if only a bit... angry? Hostile? Kagome chewed on the right word for a moment, but was brought back when Kaede sighed in aggravation.

"As ye said; he wishes to steal the Shikon no Tama."

As if that had been the key word, the men once again faced the lying hanyou with renewed vigor.

Sensing the incoming confrontation, Kagome decided to step in. Literally. "Hey now, be nice." She stood in front of the surprised men with a stern look and arms crossed. "As long as those subjugation beads work, he won't be able to take the jewel. In the meanwhile," she raised a hand to stop the protests she could see bubbling forward, "go take a bath and we can talk more about this afterwards if you so wish. Don't bother him unless provoked until then, alright?"

They shuffled a little, glaring at the form behind her. Kagome tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for their confirmation. Though, a small part of her wondered; why was the subjugation beads still working? She couldn't remember it working so long, and Inuyasha was still on the ground, muffled cursing slipping out. Resisting the urge to look behind her, she continued to stare impatiently at the men.

Seeing as they still wanted to stubbornly protect her, wherever those feelings had arisen from and however misguided their actions were, she decided to direct her most angry glower to Daiki and Aoto that stood conveniently next to each other.

The youngest of the men jumped guiltily and almost immediately sheathed his sword, taking a step back, and an apology ready on his lips that was silenced at her continued glower. Aoto was steadier, but she could see it affecting him too. In the end, he sighed and sheathed his sword, also taking a step backwards in defeat.

"Hai, Okashira. As you command."

Kagome resisted the desire to cringe at the title, but watched in relief as the other men followed their lead and nodded, chorusing their agreement. A moment later, they went to the hot spring with only a backwards glance at the hanyou.

When they were out of sight, she slumped in exhaustion. "Whew, that was hard."

As if on cue, Inuyasha jumped up on his feet, finally released from the spell. She had been expecting cursing and plenty of new swearwords that somehow involved her, but she was surprised when she only got a sneer and "_Humans_," as if that was the worst curse and would explain everything.

Then he jumped away, and she could only stare at the spot he had been in before.

"What's his problem?" She mumbled, frowning.

"Ye stopped them from trying to hurt him."

Kagome jumped with muffled cry, spinning around to see an amused Kaede watching her. She laughed sheepishly, having forgotten all about her.

"Ye truly know next to nothing, child?" There was sympathy and surprise in her question, but Kagome only nodded in answer, already confused at what she meant. Kaede beckoned her to follow her back to the hut, and she did so. "Yer a unique one, that is for sure."

"Unique?"

She glanced up at her, mouth twitching. "Aye."

She didn't explain further.

* * *

><p>Back in the hut, Kaede had offered her tea as she asked what troubled her. Kagome thought that was obvious, but with prompting, she poured her heart out and laid her soul out, so to speak. She expressed her desire to go home again, her troubles with the jewel, guilt for thinking about abandoning it, the sudden responsibility for the men that wished to follow her, the confusion about youkai and hanyou and why some just seemed hell bent on eating her, and she even lamented the state her hair was in.<p>

Basically, she treated Kaede like the psychologist that she desperately needed.

After it was all said, the lady hummed in that way only the old could manage to sound wise, and started Kagome on her very own crash course of this time.

As she listened, she was torn between paling in horror or howl in laughter, because really, how had she survived? Her actions and words and clothes and hair and so-many-things all involving too-many-to-count silent rules had been broken and abused beyond repair.

The thugs? Apparently saving them hadn't been a decent thing to do as a human being, but an act worth of saintly levels, especially since all involved parties knew they weren't worth it.

...Eh?

She tried to wrap her mind around the fact that because they were fallen people and had gone bad in orders to survive; they couldn't be forgiven and shouldn't be saved. Human life was always human life to her, but apparently that was not common here.

When Kagome had showed her control of Inuyasha with the command word and basically told them she was a miko, and then later on allowing them, however grudgingly and with a great slab of pity, to follow her as some sort of subordinates had apparently sealed the deal.

It was like a bad joke.

Instead of a; "Congratulations! It's a boy!"

She got a; "Congratulations! It's your own samurai unit!"

Kagome closed her eyes and heaved a gusty sigh. She was now responsible for their well-being, like finding food and shelter for all six of them, and it was also her job to make sure they didn't kill innocents in her name.

Oh, and she was a noble too. Can't forget that. How had she managed _that_ anyway?

Kagome could vaguely recall that anyone with a family name in this time was of noble birth, but she hadn't even said that her name was Higurashi Kagome. So how had they come to that conclusion?

Either way, Kaede continued with explaining further about what youkai really was; that there existed some sort of noble daiyoukai that she should avoid as if her life depended on it because they weren't known to be nice to humans, and hanyou that tended to avoid everyone.

"Why is that?" Kagome asked curiously.

She shot her a mildly incredulous look. "Because, child, they are not accepted by their youkai kind, nor are they by human kind. Hanyou are shunned and cannot fit into either society."

That explained why Batsuni was so confused about Inuyasha's presence, she mused.

"Although," Kaede interjected after a pause, frowning at a long-forgotten gossip, "there is a rumor that there exists a town in the southern mountains with only hanyou."

"A whole _town_ with hanyou?"

"I reckon it's true. After all, ye do not live this long without knowing about the youkai towns. They probably wanted a sanctuary just like those."

"A whole _town_ with _youkai_?"

Kaede chuckled. "Are ye hard of hearing, Kagome-sama? Aye, they are not barbarians. They have houses, families and traditions just like us."

She found this hard to believe since she had only met the full-blooded youkai that had wanted to kill her, or alternatively, eat her. Not particularly society material in her eyes.

What followed was a lesson about the little Kaede knew of this, how there existed intelligent youkai and mindless youkai that acted as fodders to the others that didn't have a taste for humans, and the pack mentality that existed almost as a whole to them all. When Kagome nodded in understanding, though it took a while to push the thought of a whole culture into her head after only a day, Kaede delved into the Miko's role.

Protectors, healers and beacons of hope.

"And that's where I come in, right?" Kagome sighed, sipping her cooling tea in misery.

"Correct."

She explained her duty was now to protect the Shikon no Tama from those who wished to use it and that it was a heavy undertaking that would burden her wherever she would go.

Kagome figured that out her first hour when the centipede youkai had tried to kill her and had taken a huge chunk out of her side. Absently patting the wound, she wondered why it didn't hurt. Kaede noticed her trailing thoughts.

"It is the Shikon no Tama."

She blinked, startled. "Sorry?"

"That wound," Kaede nodded to her side, "was healed by the Shikon no Tama. Though ye do not wish upon it, the power is so great it amplifies those who bear it. As the reincarnation of Kikyo-oneesama and the vessel of the Tama, yer more receptive than others."

"Great," she muttered into her tea. "At least I get _some_ benefit from it."

Still, she felt with her fingers, a scar had been formed that felt mottled, almost like spilled ink over her once smooth skin. Kagome sighed. Her mother wasn't the most traditional, but she would still give a look of pity since it would decrease her chances of finding a husband. She snorted. Hōjo would probably not mind.

At the reminder of her home again, she valiantly tried to fight off tears.

What if she can't ever meet them again?

Kaede only watched on in sympathy as the young girl underwent a vast range of emotions with the knowledge that she had probably lost her family. It didn't take long before Kaede let out a small chuckle as she saw Kagome drooping, her head nodding as she tired. "Dear, let me take ye to yer bed."

She nodded blearily, standing up sluggishly. "Mm, 'kay. But what... what about the men...? Batsuni still needs... needs _treatment_," she said slowly, blinking hard to remember. She was really exhausted. It didn't help that she was starting to see double from fatigue.

Kaede waved away her concerns, gently leading her to an already prepared bed. "Let me take care of it. Ye just sleep."

Even if Kagome had tried to protest, her body decided it for her as it practically shut off when her head hit the pillow.

She smiled at the youth that so resembled her sister from long before. Kagome unwittingly brought back memories inside her old heart that both made Kaede want to laugh and cry, but she did neither and instead settled on rearranging the blanket with a soft smile. "Sleep well. Ye will need it."

* * *

><p><strong>AN** Another chapter for my readers. I tried to show how Kagome would have reacted to another world realistically since I think the show never really plunged into her emotions at first. How she missed her family, and so on. Do you think I managed it? I want this to be as realistic as possible, which is why this is going to a _very_ long journey. Prepare yourself for everything supernatural between heaven and earth.

(By the way, I changed the title of this story. Hope there is no confusion thanks to it.)

Anyway, thanks for reading this! Don't hesitate to tell me your thoughts.

See you at the next update!


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